7 Tricks to Feel Energized When You’re Sleep Deprived

01 Dec 7 Tricks to Feel Energized When You’re Sleep Deprived

Regardless of your pure intent to get a good night’s sleep every day, sometimes it just doesn’t happen. A few sleepless nights can be inevitable especially if you’re just a regular individual trying to keep up with life’s overwhelming responsibilities. Fortunately, one night of poor sleep won’t hurt your health in the long run. Nonetheless, a night of crappy sleep can make you feel horrible the next day, making you wonder how you can get through the day productive and useful. Lucky for you, there are tricks you can perform in order to regain your normal self (almost normal) even after a night of bad sleep. Here they are:

1. Bask in natural lights

The morning after a poor sleep, it’s a good idea to get some natural sunshine by opening your shades. Natural light retunes your body clock, which helps you function efficiently throughout the day. Even the gloomy light brought by a cloudy or rainy day is enough to wake you up than any indoor lights.
So, when you’re feeling lethargic because you didn’t sleep well the previous night, just get yourself some natural light and expect to feel revitalized. Open your shades upon waking up to feel the sun’s energizing effects instantly.

2. Choose the right food

It’s easy to crave for something sugary or anything that’s unhealthy when the body and the mind are both exhausted and sluggish. However, such foods can make your blood sugar levels fluctuate. This results in your energy rising and falling, too. That can’t be good, apparently. Start your day with a healthy breakfast to make your energy last. Grab some protein-rich food and whole-grain carbs.

3. Make your caffeine last

There’s no need to gulp it all down in the morning. You can pour it into a thermos and consume gradually throughout the day to make its energizing effects last. You can always have a fresh cup of coffee every time you run out, but it’s not a good idea to load your system with too much caffeine, especially when you’ve had just a bad sleep.
It’s also not ideal to get caffeinated at 3 pm onwards as this might give you further trouble falling asleep at night. We understand, you need your caffeine but you have to consume it properly to avoid experiencing more sleeping issues.

4. Go for a walk

While you can easily trick yourself to feel invigorated in the morning despite being sleep deprived the night before, thanks to the sun’s natural light and your morning dose of coffee, you’re still not free from the drag of the afternoon. Between 1 pm – 3 pm you’re most likely feeling the effects of your late night ordeal.
This is the period where you feel weak and drowsy the most. So, get out of this state by going out for a walk. Even a 10-minute talk can make you feel invigorated again. Movement increases core temperature and rouses the heart, brain, and muscles, which can prevent the body from crashing.

5. Get your shut-eye right on time

The night after a bad sleep, it is important that you hit the sack close to your typical bedtime. The body has a natural rhythm of sleep and wakefulness. Hence, you’ll get the recuperative sleep you need if you stick to your schedule. Modifying your bedtime to compensate for lost sleep isn’t a good idea.
This can even cause further issues, such as early waking and insomnia. What you can do is sleep an hour earlier than your usual bedtime. This way, you can keep pace with your sleeping pattern without doing it excessively.

6. Drink more water

Your body can be a bit dehydrated whenever it lacks sleep. This must be avoided since dehydration means exhaustion. Drinking water can help reduce your feeling of drowsiness. You can also opt for cold water as the coolness of the liquid can boost your alertness.

7. Perform an active rest

An afternoon nap can help you freshen up especially when you’re sleep deprived the previous night. However, it’s not always possible especially for people who are at work. Amazingly, there’s a replacement for an afternoon nap. It is called paradoxical relaxation, which is a type of active rest.

Do this by concentrating on one muscle group in your body for a minimum of 15 seconds. As you’re in the middle of it, focus on the sensation and nothing else. Do it again from top to bottom. You’ll feel revived physically and mentally after performing this technique.